Russia may probe NATO’s response, says Czech security chief

Head of the Czech Security Information Service, BIS General, Michal Koudelka, has said that Russia could theoretically attempt an attack on a NATO member state, including the Baltic countries, although it is currently not capable of conducting an operation on the scale of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Koudelka said Moscow could consider limited actions against an Alliance country as a way to test NATO’s speed and resolve in responding. He stressed in this context the need for a “clear and unambiguous confirmation of unity and readiness for defence” from allied states, RMF FM reports.

He added that recent Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities demonstrate a level of brutality that could, in theory, also be directed against NATO member states.

At the same time, the BIS chief noted that Russian influence operations in Czechia, including through agent networks and disinformation campaigns, are currently less effective than Moscow anticipates.

Separately, Koudelka warned that the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East is contributing to rising global tensions and could increase the risk of radicalization in parts of society in Europe and the United States.

As an example, he pointed to the arson attack on an industrial facility in Pardubice in March, warning of a potential rise in left-wing extremist groups reminiscent of organizations active in Europe during the 1970s and 1980s.

By Vafa Guliyeva